The Sabin Vaccine Institute has delivered 1,000 additional emergency vaccine doses to Rwanda, bolstering the country’s efforts to combat the ongoing Marburg virus disease outbreak.
This second shipment follows an initial delivery of 700 doses on October 5, just over a week after the outbreak was confirmed on September 27.
Rwanda began vaccinating frontline health workers on October 6 as part of its proactive response. As of Sunday, 669 doses from the initial supply had already been administered.
The Sabin Institute’s single-dose vaccine is being distributed in accordance with a clinical protocol approved by Rwandan ethics and regulatory authorities.
As a member of MARVAC, a WHO-coordinated consortium, Sabin is committed to fostering international collaboration in the development of vaccines for Marburg virus disease. Their development program, supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), includes clinical trials and the manufacturing of trial materials.
“These significant vaccine shipments and the ongoing vaccination efforts represent crucial steps in Rwanda’s fight against the Marburg virus. By prioritizing the protection of frontline health workers and collaborating with international partners, Rwanda is strengthening its public health response and working diligently to safeguard its population from this serious threat,” read the statement from the Ministry of Health.
As of Sunday, October 13, there have been a total of 61 confirmed cases of the Marburg virus, with 27 people still in isolation and receiving treatment, 20 people recovered from the virus, and 14 people have passed away since the outbreak.
According to the Health Ministry, “Since the announcement of the outbreak, all new confirmed cases have been within the hospital cluster in Kigali and their contacts, and all are under isolation and treatment. There is no evidence of community transmission.”
Rwanda receives 1,000 more vaccine doses for Marburg virus
